Palliative Care

Clinical tools

The following clinical tools are commonly used in end-of-life care:

Palliative Performance Scale (PPS)

The PPS is designed to allow health care professionals to measure performance status at the end-of-life based on five objective indicators.

Palliative Performance Scale

Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)

The ESAS is designed to help health care professionals assess common symptoms at the end of life. The ESAS elicits the patient’s subjective perception using a numerical scale.

Edmonton Symptom Assessment System

CAGE: Ewing, J. W. (1984). Detecting alcoholism: The CAGE questionnaire. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 252, 1905-1907. 

The CAGE is a brief screening tool to assess for the risk of alcoholism. Co-occurring symptoms and substance use issues at the end-of-life require careful management. Screening for risk factors is important.

Pain Clinical Practice Guideline

The Pain CPG is a tool that is being implemented throughout the WRHA to promote evidence-based pain assessment, management and education.

Pain Clinical Practice Guideline